Sunspots
by desolate butterfly
Summary: [GaaraKiba] In which Kiba hates the village of Suna, and Akamaru doesn't help.
1. Chapter 1

_Everyone knows I don't own Naruto, right? _

* * *

Title: Sunspots  
Author: desolate butterfly  
Genre: humour/gen  
Pairings: Gaara/Kiba, Naruto/Gaara if you squint, implied Shikamaru/Temari  
Rating: PG 13 for language  
Summary: In which Kiba hates Suna and Akamaru doesn't help.

* * *

--

Kiba hated Suna.

It was too hot, too sunny, and too windy, with too little trees for Akamaru to mark, and too little rivers for Kiba to dunk his tired feet in after a long day. There was also too little for Kiba to do, since it had unanimously been decided that he would be unable to attend the diplomatic talks currently being orchestrated by Suna's foreign affairs council.

Kiba scowled and thought back to Shino's flat voice saying—"We thought it best that you stay away from the upcoming meetings. We don't want to have to deal with anymore accidents."—and Hinata's blush as she slowly nodded her head.

"It's not that we don't want you there Kiba-kun," she had murmured, "it's just that we think the talks might go smoother if you and Akamaru didn't attend. A-And you'd probably be really bored anyway, right?"

Akamaru gave a wet huffing sigh beside him, and Kiba reached out absently to scratch behind his ears.

'_Man, you let your dog pee on the pant leg of one Sand diplomat and you get kicked out for life.' _

"It's not Akamaru's fault that guy looked so much like a stump," Kiba grumbled out loud. "Suna needs more trees."

Akamaru barked a lazy agreement and flopped over on his side in the yellowish, scratchy grass that covered most of the parts of Suna that weren't desert. Kiba folded his hands behind his head and toppled down on his back, puffing his cheeks out at the heat of the sun on his face. His tribal paint itched and he would probably get a strange sunburn surrounding the marks on his cheeks.

Still, it was amusing to think about the kind of tan that Shino would come back with, as he had refused to part with his sunglasses (understandable) and his high collar-jacket (less understandable) while in Suna. Kiba smiled and closed his eyes, trying to picture Shino with a strip of bronze forehead and a pale outline around his eyes leading to a brown nose and a blindingly white chin and neck.

Chuckling to himself, Kiba added a sunburnt nose and tan-lines in the shape of a hitai-ate to his mental portrait of Shino.

'_Serves him right for kicking me out like a kid or something.'_

Kiba opened his eyes a second later to find a set of dark-rimmed pale-green eyes staring down at him.

"Guh!"

He sat up quickly, brushing some dust off his shirt while the kazekage of Suna watched with a blank expression on his face.

"Were you sleeping?" Gaara asked, and Kiba really wished that Gaara had eyebrows so he could tell whether the guy was frowning or not.

"Ah…no, not me. I was just resting my eyes, ha ha!" Kiba said, grinning widely. He turned to Akamaru and hissed _why didn't you warn me someone was coming?_ out of the corner of his mouth.

Akamaru whined and flopped his tail against the ground in the doggy-equivalent of a shrug. Kiba gave Akamaru a glare and then turned back to Gaara, who wasn't giving any indication that he had heard Kiba's whispered conversation with the nin-dog. Which really didn't mean anything, because Gaara's expression rarely gave away what he was thinking.

"So um," Kiba floundered for a topic that wouldn't get him blasted with sand, "what brings you out here Gaa—Kazekage-sama? Shouldn't you be listening in on the diplomatic talks?"

Gaara stared silently at Kiba for a moment, and he wondered if he should be standing up in the kazekage's presence. It did feel kind of awkward, sitting and staring up at someone you were talking to, and Kiba didn't like the vulnerability the position afforded him. But, on the other hand, getting up would mean dislodging Akamaru's front legs from his lap. And Akamaru was heavy and decidedly _not moving._

Luckily, Gaara made Kiba's inner debate a moot point when he stopped staring and took a seat on the other side of the Inuzuka boy.

"They kicked me out," the red-haired nin confessed.

Kiba's eyes widened. "They can _do_ _that_ to the kazekage?"

"Not technically," Gaara clarified. "But it was suggested that I find something else to do. Apparently I offended the envoy from Grass by asking how it was possible for her to grow a mustache."

"…She has a mustache?"

"Ah, I see you are curious about her strange ability as well." Gaara drew his knees up to his chest and looked out across the field to where the patchy sections of grass ended and the real desert began. "I wondered if it were a jutsu, but I was unable to determine what the purpose of such a jutsu would be."

"Ah." Kiba wondered if he'd actually fallen asleep and was dreaming this, or if too much sun had finally caused him to hallucinate. The conversation was too surreal for words.

"Well," he said, "If it's any consolation, they kicked me out too. I hear those things are kind of boring anyway."

"Oh they are," Gaara continued. "But usually Temari gives me paperclips to stack while I wait for everybody to stop arguing. She says it's not polite to just dismiss the stupid ideas out of hand. I have to pretend to listen to them for at least ten minutes before I can say 'no'."

"Temari…that's your sister, right?" Kiba leered at Gaara. "I hear that she and Shikamaru are knockin' boots. That true?"

Gaara just looked at him, face blank.

"…Knocking boots?"

"Yeah! It means, uh…" Kiba's sense of self-preservation finally caught up with his mouth. "Nevermind! So, are you enjoying your position as kazekage? Apart from the boring meetings, I mean."

Gaara pursed his lips in thought and Kiba watched him curiously. He hadn't really spoken much to the kazekage before—once at the chuunin exams when he scared the fuck out of Akamaru and threatened to kill him and his team, and briefly a few days ago when Team Eight had arrived in Suna. He had to admit, this wasn't what he had expected from the once mad container of Shukaku.

Frankly, he expected more hurting and sand in uncomfortable places.

"I am doing adequately," Gaara replied, finally. "There are still those who fear me, but as long as I am permitted to protect them, it poses no problem. Naruto-kun told me that it's worth it, protecting the bonds you have. Even if I'm not sure yet what I'm gaining, I trust Naruto-kun to tell me the truth."

Kiba smiled a little at that.

'_He's changed a lot, hasn't he Akamaru?'_

As if on cue, the huge nin-dog rolled off of Kiba's legs and leaned its head over to deliver a sloppy wet lick to Gaara's hand.

'_Uh oh.'_ Kiba shot a nervous glance at the kazekage.

Gaara was staring at his hand, which was now covered in dog saliva. He shook it a little.

"Your dog licked me," he said, monotone.

Kiba bit his lip and then pasted a wide grin on his face.

"Yeah well…uh…" _'Dammit, what to say?'_

"I am not a food item."

"He doesn't think you're food!" Kiba protested, flailing a bit. "Akamaru likes you that's all. He's just showing you that he enjoys your company."

Gaara blinked, but didn't comment more. Akamaru whined at him hopefully, trying to indicate that ear scratches were now in order, but Gaara didn't appear to understand the whines like Kiba did.

Sighing, Kiba placed a hand on Akamaru's ruff and tugged him away from the confused Sand nin. Apparently, a change of subject was in order.

"About people fearing you…"

Gaara's eyes focused on his and Kiba had to swallow past the lump in his throat in order to continue.

"You just have to keep going at it," he finished. "Lots of people are scared of my fangs, or of Akamaru now that he's big, but once they get to know us, they relax. So don't worry. People won't be afraid of you forever. Not the people that matter anyway."

Gaara was silent for a long while, and Kiba was beginning to worry that he'd overstepped his bounds.

'_Oh man, they never should have sent me on a diplomatic mission. The only thing worse would have been sending that crazy bitch Anko. Even Naruto's better at this than I am!'_

Akamaru whined for more ear scratches at his side, and Kiba turned to give them, grateful for the chance to stop looking at Gaara's expressionless face. He could still feel those pale eyes burning into his back though.

After a few moments, Kiba gained the courage to turn around. He started to move his neck, but a sudden, damp pressure on his cheek stopped him. Kiba's eyes widened and he sat very still.

'_That isn't…he can't possibly be…oh SHIT.'_

Gaara's tongue swiped a careful line from his chin to right above his ear. It was hot and wet and Kiba had to control the whimper trying to emerge from his throat. After he had finished that one lick, Gaara pulled away, and the sudden absence made Kiba shiver, enough though it was still almost unbearably warm out. He brought a hand slowly to his cheek.

"You taste salty," Gaara observed, before standing up. "We shall talk later."

And with that, the kazekage was gone, moving back across the field to the collection of houses and shops that made up Suna. Kiba watched him go with a stunned expression on his face. Akamaru nuzzled at his hand and he petted the beast's nose absently.

"What the fuck was _that_ about?" he muttered, shaking his head.

With a frustrated huff, Kiba returned to his sky-watching position on the ground. He was going to kill Shino for kicking him out of the meetings. After he got his breath back. Eventually.

--

Fin.

* * *

_Any commentary is appreciated._  



	2. Chapter 2

_More, because I enjoy annoying Kiba.   
_

* * *

Title: Sunspots  
Author: desolate butterfly  
Genre: humour/gen  
Pairings: Gaara/Kiba, Naruto/Gaara if you squint, implied Shikamaru/Temari  
Rating: PG 13 for language  
Summary: In which Kiba still hates Suna only now he hates Naruto as well.

* * *

--

Kiba wasn't nervous at all.

Sure, it was his first appearance back in Suna after the Kazekage, who had also once been a demon container and pretty scary psychopath—okay, so he was _still_ fucking scary and Kiba wasn't altogether certain about the psychopath thing either—had _licked him on the cheek_ and then said—threatened?—that they'd talk later.

And then days had passed without Kiba seeing the man again, and he ended up trekking back to Konoha with his team mates still trying to figure out whether he should feel relieved or disappointed about that. Akamaru had made some whining noises about _his_ opinion on what Kiba should have done after Gaara had licked him, and Kiba resisted the urge to go right out and buy Akamaru a muzzle.

Really, who uses _that_ kind of language? Fucking _dogs._

But now Kiba was walking back into Suna, trailing behind the rest of his team, because he was tired and hot and just a bit bored and definitely not nervous.

Hinata though, _she_ looked nervous. Kiba supposed that he couldn't blame her. After all, they were supposed to be meeting up with Naruto, who had been working with the Kazekage for a few weeks now to rework the town's defence system so that Gaara could try a new thing called "sleeping" every once in a while.

Judging from the hidden shinobi Akamaru was sniffing out all along the main pathway into the village, Kiba figured that Naruto had been less of a failure than usual in this venture.

"Hey," he moved up a bit to nudge at Shino, "we're being watched."

"I know," Shino replied, "but I was planning on giving Hinata a bit more time."

"More time for what?"

At that, Shino stopped walking abruptly, and Kiba caught himself before ploughing into his back, arms waving awkwardly. Hinata stepped gracefully around Kiba and turned inquisitive eyes to Shino.

"W-what's wrong Shino-kun?"

Shino cocked his head to the side and then said, loudly, "You can come out now, Naruto."

Hinata let out a surprised gasp and activated her byakugan. Her eyes focused on a cluster of bushes and then widened.

"Naruto-kun!"

The spiky green leaves of the bush faded into blond hair and the shape of the plant stretched and curved until it formed into the body of a familiar shinobi. Naruto straightened his cramped legs and put one hand behind his head, grinning sheepishly.

"Heh, Shino, how'd you know it was me, man?" he asked, waving to Hinata.

The girl blushed and hid behind Kiba, drawing circles in the dirt with the toe of her shoes and Kiba sighed. A whole week of this was going to drive him crazy. Why couldn't Naruto get the hint and just ask his team mate out already?

Shino's glance flickered from Hinata to Naruto.

"I wagered that the Suna guard would at least disguise themselves as flora that would be native to their land," he answered, coolly. "You _are_ aware that sagwa nut bushes only grow in Wave Country, right?"

Naruto's grin quickly turned into an annoyed scowl.

"You're such a killjoy, Shino," the boy pouted. "Even Neji has more sense of humour. Hell, even _Gaara_ has more sense of humour. Speaking of Gaara…"

Naruto's mischievous gaze settled on Kiba and the grin returned. Kiba was sure he'd seen that expression on Akamaru before. Like right before the nin-dog was about to bite something tasty.

'_What's with that face?'_ Kiba muttered to himself.

"He wants to see you"—a dirt-covered finger was suddenly thrust in Kiba's face—"right away. Better not keep him waiting. Gaara likes to break stuff when he's impatient."

Kiba blinked and then sent a kick Akamaru's way when the dog started to snicker. He _knew_ he should have gotten that muzzle.

"But…why—"

"Sorry Kiba, gotta go!"

Naruto smiled and then grabbed Hinata by the wrist. She turned so red, Kiba thought he and Shino might have to pick her up from the floor again, like that time in the hospital, but Hinata managed to keep her feet as Naruto tugged her along after him.

"C'mon Hinata, you too Bug-boy! I need you guys to help me test something. It's kind of like a pit trap only Gaara made the sand in it quicksand and…"

The blond's voice trailed off as he led Kiba's team mates down the street and Kiba was left to stand there, mouth open in shock, Akamaru snorting in laughter at his heels.

"Well…this is just great," Kiba muttered, shaking his head. The kazekage wanted to see him. And Naruto was acting like he knew _way too much_ about why Gaara wanted to see him.

'_Maybe if I'm lucky, falling rocks will kill me on the way there.'_

The pathway that Gaara's tongue had taken on Kiba's cheek burned, and the boy put a hand to it, hesitantly. A vision of red hair and pale green eyes flashed in his thoughts and he swallowed, hard.

Then he licked his dry lips and set off again towards the kazekage's official buildings, mouth stretched into a confident grin, stride quick and casual.

Because Kiba _still_ wasn't nervous. At all.

--

TBC.


End file.
